Book Review: The Secret Keys of Conjure
Unlocking the Mysteries of American Folk Magic by Chas Bogan
Chas Bogan is well known for his inventiveness and ingenuity when it comes to crafting spirit boards and other esoteric oddities. What isn’t spoken about enough, is his writing ability and breadth of knowledge, and experience, within the realm of American Folk Magic.
To summarize my thoughts in a few words, I’d say that this is a must read for those interested in Hoodoo and American magical practices for the modern age.
Chas Bogan goes through the fundamental aspects of Hoodoo in a methodical and easy-to-read way. I’ve read various books on folk magic over the years, but this is one of the best that I’ve read on the subject.
He takes the time to explore the cultural history, and origins, of these practices. In today’s modern witchcraft circles, cultural and magical practices are often appropriated, but he takes the time to pin-point where these practices arose, and why it was important to those cultures.
On a more general level, he describes foundational concepts within magic, specifically what would be classified as “low magic”, such as the law of contagion, the doctrine of signatures, and the law of similarity.
With these concepts in mind, it allows the reader, as well as any practitioner, an idea of how and why spells work within folk magic. This provides workers with a framework in which to develop potent spells of their own creations.
If that wasn’t enough, within each chapter he provides a plethora of examples, and ingredients, for various spells in hoodoo in relation to the topic of the chapter.
One that caught my eye was the Jack Ball. As I previously mentioned I’ve read a few books on Hoodoo, and I haven’t come across this sort of spell. It piqued my interest and led me to research the topic, and create one of my own.
In short, it is an extension of the practitioner, a ball on a string used to build energy, dominate others, or draw and/or repel certain influences into the practitioner’s life. At the end of the article I’ll include the ingredients and the spell I worked on for those more interested.
He includes all his references within each chapter, as well as books that he suggests one reads for more information, which if you’re interested in this form of magic, you can find everything you need from the books he suggests.
Chas Bogan is a hidden gem in plain sight, he develops innovative spiritual tools in his shop Carnivalia, teaches Hoodoo on his site, and has authored a few books on the subject. That in all is a gift to our community, and I highly suggest others to read his books, and check out his creations.
Jack-Ball Spell
Ingredients:
- Beeswax or Candle Wax
- Needle and Thread or Wool
- Petition Paper with signature of the practitioner
- Personal Effects
- Roots/Herbs/Crystals of Choice
- Whiskey, Oil of Choice, or Cologne, or Water
The ingredients make the spell seem more complicated than it is, but if you’re like me, you’ll like a potent tool and spiritual ally.
The jack-ball arose from African-American practices of the South, and is thought to have originated in Africa. It acts like a mojo hand, or gris-gris bag, and a pendulum all in one.
One of the first instances of this spell being documented was by Charles Leland, with a first hand account of a hoodoo practitioner crafting a Jack Ball for Leland.
Within Hoodoo practices the belief that everything has a spirit is emphasized, this belief is now known to be called Animism, and plays a role in how mojos and other curios work within Hoodoo.
Mojos, or Hands, are thought to have their own spirit, however, the Jack-Ball is made as an extension of one’s own spirit, or for whom the ball is made for.
Step by Step approach to crafting a jack-ball:
In its most bare-bones approach, you’ll want to write your name on a piece of parchment or other paper (brown paper bags are usually used within traditional Hoodoo Practices), and urinate on it. It also helps to include personal effects, such as hair, nails or other items that holds your DNA. This is thought to amplify the connection between the person and the Jack Ball.
After these are prepared, you’ll want to melt the wax until it is pliable and moldable. With the items in hand you’ll place them in the wax to be part of the curio.
It helps to speak to the herbs, roots, or crystals being used. Tell them what you want them to do within the spell, and in a sense, wake them up. This is similar to the new age concept of programming an object with your intentions, but a little more personal than that.
You’ll want to mold the ball with the objects within, to have the wax act as a container for the ingredients and the magic. When you have formed the ball, usually the size of a quarter or a little larger, you will begin to wrap it with thread or wool. Either works, and it’s the preference of the practitioner. Most colors used for the jackball usually involve red, or black, or another color that is associated with its purpose.
When the ball is completely covered you’ll want to use the needle to pierce the center while the thread is attached, and have the thread be a few feet long after being pierced through.
You’ll want to take the end of the long thread, and thread it through the outer part of the ball where the first thread resides so that you will have three parallel threads at the end.
At that point, you’ll tie the tails together and the ball will be finished. At this point, speak to the ball and give it a name. Tell the ball its purpose, name, and treat it like a living thing.
As an extension of yourself, it should be treated with respect, and kept out of the hands of others. To awaken it, you may spray the ball with water, or whiskey, to baptize it. This is usually done three times, either sprayed from the mouth or by hand, and breathe upon it, to imbue it with your life-force.
Carry it with you for around a week so it will become acclimated to your energy, and it will be ready to use. It’s a powerful talisman that can be an effective tool for any practitioner.
Some common roots used for a jack-ball are the Three Johns, John the Conqueror, Dixie John, and Low-John roots. This formula specifically is used by Lucky Mojo Company, a hoodoo store and website. The number of ingredients present should be in odd numbers, they are important in American Folk Magic, and usually go from 1, 3, 5, 7… to 13 at the most. This is thought to empower the magic.
Around once a week the jack-ball will have to be fed with either oil, a cologne such as Hoyt’s or Florida Water, or your urine. Preferably, colognes work the best as it leaves the jack-ball smelling good, and it doesn’t soak or dampen the ball itself.
References
- Bogan, Chas. The Secret Keys of Conjure: Unlocking the Mysteries of American Folk Magic. Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., 2018.
- “Hoodoo Luck-Balls (Jack-Balls).” Southern, http://www.southernspirits.org/owen-hoodoo-luck-balls.html.
- Lucky Mojo Bags and Conjure Hands for Hoodoo Rootwork: Lucky Mojo Curio Co.. Catalogue, https://www.luckymojo.com/mojocatmojo.html.
